Metal pouring apparatus for continuous casting



4, 1956 R. EASTON ET AL 2,772,455

METAL POURING APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING Filed Oct. 28, 1955 r x I 44 1': A ,68 t 41 M936.

7 z 2 F ;'l6 f f a L9 32 18 I I Rum; Loner f Lower Reuse 86 B g g g i l T A g? 4 T T Comm! 1 Control 3 Symm El/IN II/1111111114. II System INVENTORS Rufus Euston 8 BY Thomas Y.Wilson.

United States Patent METAL POURING APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS CASTTN G Rufus Easton, Pittsburgh, Pa., and Thomas Y. Wilson, Albany, N. Y., assignors to Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corporation, Brackenridge, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 28, 1955, Serial No. 543,323

6 Claims. (Cl. 22-49) This invention relates to the pouring of molten metal and in particular to pouring apparatus for simultaneously casting molten metal into two molds.

In metallurgical practice it is often desirable to pour molten metal from one heat simultaneously into two molds. This is particularly true where a plurality of castings are to be made from a single heat to thereby insure homogeneous castings of identical compositions. However, it has heretofore been practically impossible to effect such simultaneous pouring of two castings from a single supply for such pouring requires a very close control of the rate of pouring.

An object of this invention is to provide a pouring apparatus having means for independently controlling the simultaneous flow of molten metal in two streams therefrom into two molds.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in apparatus for the simultaneous casting of two continuous castings from a single source of molten metal, for independently controlling the flow of such molten metal to provide a substantially constant level of molten metal for each of the two castings.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide, in a pouring reservoir having two pouring spouts for the flow of molten metal therefrom, two adjustable members and a pivotal support for the reservoir for cooperating with the pouring spouts thereof to provide two tilting axes therefor, each of the tilting axes extending through one of the pouring spouts, the pivotal support and adjust able member associated therewith whereby the tilting movement of the reservoir can be controlled to substantially independently control the flow of molten metal from one or the other or both of the pouring spouts.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of pouring apparatus embodying the teachings of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section illustrating the pouring apparatus, as taken along the line Il-ll of Fig. 1, disposed with respect to a mold for receiving molten metal from such pouring apparatus; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view, partly in section, illustrating the assembly of the pouring apparatus, as taken along the line IIIIII of Fig. 1, in cooperative relation with two continuous casting molds and the independent controls for the pouring apparatus.

Referring to the drawing, this invention is illustrated by reference to a pouring apparatus or box disposed for simultaneously making continuous castings in a pair of continuous casting molds 12 and 14, the relationship between the pouring apparatus 10 and the continuous casting molds 12 and 14 being better illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The pouring apparatus or box 10 comprises an outer metallic shell 16 for containing a refractory material 18 in which is formed a main reservoir 20 and a pair of spaced associated pouring reservoirs 22 and 24.

The main reservoir 20 is provided with a substantially rectangular cross sectional shape as illustrated in Fig. l and has its forward and rear walls 21 and 23, respectively, downwardly tapered toward each other for forming a reservoir for receiving a supply of molten metal 26 as it is poured therein from a suitable holding furnace 28. The upper edge of the forward wall 21 of the main reservoir 29 is below the upper edges of the other side walls thereof and is provided with two spaced and diverging pouring spouts 3t) and 32 at the corners thereof for directing the flow of molten metal 26 from the main reservoir 20 to the pouring reservoirs 22 and 24, respectively. As in usual practice, the main reservoir is provided with a slag dam 34 which extends across the reservoir near the upper end thereof and projects downwardly in the reservoir a distance somewhat below the level of the pouring spouts 30 and 32 so that the molten metal 26 can flow freely beneath the dam v34 to the pouring spouts 30 and 32. The dam 34 is preferably of refractory material suitable for withstanding the heat of the molten metal and for holding the slag 36 on top of that portion of the molten metal 26 in the reservoir behind this darn 34.

In the embodiment illustrated, the pouring reservoirs 22 and 24 are disposed near the forward edge of the pouring apparatus 10 in spaced relation to each other and in cooperative relation to the pouring spouts 30 and 32, respectively, for receiving the molten metal as it flows from the pouring spouts. The pouring reservoirs 22 and 24 in this instance are substantially rectangular in shape and terminate at their lower ends in nozzles 38 and 40, respectively. The nozzles 38 and 49 extend through the metallic shell is which'is protected from the heat of the molten metal 26 flowing through the nozzles by an extension of the refractory material 18 which projects through the shell 16.

In order to provide for tilting movement. of the pouring apparatus or box 10, the pouring box is mounted on a universal joint support 42 which is carried on a suitable bracket or other supporting base 44, the universal joint support 42 being centrally disposed with respect to the bottom of the pouring box 10 whereby the pouring box 10 tends to tilt in any direction about a vertical axis extending through the universal joint support 42. The pouring spouts 30 and 32 of the main reservoir 20 and the associated pouring reservoirs 22 and 24, respectively, are all positioned in the pouring box it) on one side of a vertical plane passing through the main reservoir 20 and the universal joint support 42 when the pouring box 10 is in the position illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

In order to control the degree and direction of tilting of the pouring box 14 so as to independently control the simultaneous flow of molten metal 26 from the main reservoir 2t) through the pouring spouts 30 and 32 and consequently control the head of the molten metal in each of the pouring reservoirs 22 and 24 to control the flow of molten metal therefrom into the associated molds 12 and 14, respectively, the pouring box 10 is provided with a pair of independently adjustable control members 46 and 48 disposed in spaced relation at: the rear edge of the pouring box It). In this instance the adjusting members 46 and 4?; are illustrated as disposed at the rear corners of the pouring box 10 on the other side of the vertical plane referred to hereinbefore and which extends through the main reservoir 2% the adjusting member 46 being aligned with the universal joint support 42, the pouring spout 32 and the pouring nozzle 40 on an axis X-X as shown in Fig. 1, whereas the adjusting member 48 is aligned with the universal joint support 42, the pouring spout 30 and the pouring nozzle 38 on an axis Y-Y. The axes XX and Y-Y form tilting axes, as will be referred to hereinafter, the adjusting member 48 being so disposed that when actuated, it effects a tilting of the box 19 and the main reservoir 20 about the axis XX without affecting the flow of metal through the pouring spout 32 and the pouring nozzle 4d, whereas the adjusting member 46 is so disposed that when actuated, a tilting of the box it) and the main reservoir 29 about the axis Y-Y is obtained without affecting the flow of metal through the pouring spout 3d and the pouringnozzle 33. As illustrated, each of the adjusting member 46 and 48 comprises a threaded block and 52, respectively, secured to the lower rear corners the box iii-and disposed to receive a screw member 54 and 56, respectively, in threaded engagement therewith. The screw members and 56 are disposed to be actuated through a suitable gear drive represented by the gear boxes 58 and 60, respectively, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Reversible motors 62 and 64 are connected to drive the gears of the boxes 58 and 6t), respectively, to drive the screw members 54 and 56, respectively, in a predetermined direction dependent upon the directional operation of the motors 62 and 64, respectively.

While any type of mold may be employed for receiving the molten metal 26 from the pouring box 10, molds 12 and 14 of the continuous casting type have been illustrated in order to illustrate one type of control for controlling the operation of the adjusting members Sil and 52 to provide a predetermined control of the flow of molten metal from the pouring spouts 30 and 32 of the pouring box 10. The details of such continuous casting molds are well known and for purposes of illustrating this invention only the upper end of such casting molds 12 and 14 are illustrated. Such molds comprise a sleeve 66 of copper, the outer surface of which is enclosed in a suitable water jacket 68 to which water, not shown, is supplied for extracting heat from the metal cast in the mold. Of course, as is well known, the soldified casting is continuously withdrawn from the bottom of the sleeve 66 and molten metal is continuously supplied to the upper end thereof, it being desirable to maintain a substantially constant level of the molten metal in the mold for obtaining homogeneous castings as the solidified metal is withdrawn from the lower end of the mold at some optimum rate. The operation of the adjusting members 50 and 52 can be automatically controlled in response to variation or changes in the level of the molten metal in the molds 12 and 14 from a predetermined level which it is necessary to maintain therein for obtaining the homogeneous castings.

In this instance, as illustrated in Fig. 3, sensing devices 70 and 72 are embedded in the copper sleeve of the molds 12 and 14 closely adjacent the inner surface of such sleeves so as to be sensitive to the temperature of the molten metal contained within the molds. The sensing devices 70 and 72 illustrated are suitable thermocouples which will have an electromotive force depending upon the temperature to which they are subjected, the temperature being a direct measure of the height of the molten metal within the molds 12 and 14. The electric signals thus initiated by the sensing devices 70 and 72 are supplied to suitable amplifiers represented by the boxes 74 and 76, respectively, where the signals are greatlyamplified and then supplied as through conductors 78 and 80, respectively, to suitable control systems represented by the boxes 82 and 84, respectively, for automatically controlling the directional energization of the reversible motors 64 and 62, respectively, to thereby automatically control the directional operation of the screw members 56 and 54, respectively. The details of the amplifiers 74 and 76 and of the control systems 82 and 84 are not illustrated as the details of such amplifiers and control systems form no part of the present invention and any suitable amplifier and control system can be employed for the purpose described.

Inorder to provide for a manual control of the op-- eration of the screw members 54 and 56, suitable pushbutton switches 8688 and 929t), respectively, are disposed for manual operation to circuit closing positions to selectively energize the raise and lower circuits of the control systems 84 and 82, respectively, to thereby provide a manual control of the directional operation of the reversible motors 62 and 64, respectively. The switches 86, 88, 2d and 92 are preferably spring biased to the circuit opening position so that the switches are ettective in establishing a circuit only so long as a positive manual force is applied thereto. The manual control is particularly useful where two castings are to be made but it is unnecessary to provide an automatic control of the level of metal cast in the two molds.

For purpose of illustration, the tilting operation of the pouring box It will be described with reference to the automatic control for maintaining a predetermined level of the molten metal in the continuous casting molds 12 and 14. In such an operation it is assumed that the main reservoir 20 of the pouring b x 10 is supplied with 1 the molten metal 26 to feed the molten metal to the molds 12 and 14 and that solidified castings are being withdrawn from such molds with the level of the molten metal in the molds 12 and 14 at the predetermined level which it is necessary to maintain to obtain good castings.

Under such operating conditions, if the level of the molten metal in the mold 12 should be lowered from the given level, the temperature to which the sensing device 70 is subjected is decreased so that the signal therefrom is decreased with the result that the output of the amplifier 74 is decreased to so initiate an operation of the control system 82 as to energize the field winding 94 of the motor 64 to effect an operation thereof in a direction to drive the gears of the gear box 60 to actuate the screw 56 in a direction to eflect a raising of the rear corner of the pouring box 10 diagonally opposite from the pouring spout 30. Such raising of the one rear corner of the pouring box 10 causes the box to tilt about its tilting axis XX on the universal joint support 42 in a direction to lower the pouring spout 30 with respect to the pouring spout 32 whereby a greater quantity of the molten metal flows from the pouring spout 30 into the pouring reservoir 22 to establish a greater head of molten metal therein without changing the flow from the pouring spout 32 and thereby increase the flow of molten metal through the nozzle 38 to the mold 12 to raise the level of molten metal therein to the predetermined level which is to be maintained.

If, on the other hand, the level of metal in the mold 12 is raised above the predetermined level which is to be maintained, then the sensing device 70 is subjected to a greater temperature by reason of the larger mass of molten metal adjacent the sensing device 70 so that the amplified signal from the amplifier 74 is increased. Such an increase in the amplified signal from the amplifier 74 initiates an operation of the control system 82 to efiect the energization of the winding 96 of the reversible motor 64 whereby the motor 64 is operated in a direction to eifectively drive the screw 56 in a direction to lower the rear corner of the pouring box 10 diagonally opposite from the pouring spout 30. The resulting tilting movement of the pouring box 10 about the tilting axis XX eiTectively decreases the flow of molten metal from the pouring spout 30 to the pouring reservoir 22 to decrease the static head of the molten metal therein and thereby decrease the flow of molten metal through the nozzle 38 to the mold 12 without changing the flow of molten metal through the nozzle 40 to lower the level of the molten metal in the mold 12 to the predetermined level which is to be maintained.

The automatic control of the operation of the reversible motor 62 in response to the signal from the sensing device 72 to control the directional operation of the screw 54 and the tilting of the pouring box 10 about the tilting axis YY and thus control the flow from the pouring spout 32 without changing the flow from the pouring spout 34} is identical to the operation previously described with respect to the automatic control of the motor 64 for controlling the tilting of the pouring box about the tilting axis XX to control the flow of metal from the pouring spout 30 in response to the signal from the sensing device '70.

Under some conditions of operation the level of the metal in both of the molds 12 and 14 will simultaneously change either in the same direction or in opposite directions in which case the motors 62 and 64 are simultaneously operated in response to the amplified signals from the sensing devices 72 and 70, respectively, to return the level of the molten metal in the molds 14 and 12, respectively, to the predetermined levels which are to be maintained. Where it is undesirable to utilize the automatic control, a manual control of the operation of each of the motors 62 and 64 to control the direction and degree of tilting of the box 10 can be had by manually operating the raise switches 86 or 92, respectively, or the lower switches 88 or 90, respectively, such switches being disposed for initiating an operation of the control systems 84 or 82, respectively, to control the directional energization of the reversible motors 62 and 64, respectively, in a manner Well known to the industry.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 349,672, filed April 20, 1953, now abandoned.

While this invention has been described with reference to the simultaneous casting of two continuous castings from a single heat of molten metal, it will be readily appreciated that it has many other applications such as, for example, the controlled pouring of two ingots simultaneously, or the twin belt pouring of iron pigs, or the simultaneous pouring of sand mold castings and many other applications where it is desirable to eflect the simultaneous pouring of two castings and to provide independent control to regulate the flow of molten metal to each of two such castings. The pouring apparatus is very sensitive to the operation of the adjusting members 46 and 48 and such adjusting members can be operated simultaneously or independently or at difierent rates of speed depending upon the changes desired in the rate of flow from the pouring spouts 30 and 32. The apparatus is relatively simple and yet highly efficient for effecting the simultaneous pouring of two castings of identical com position.

We claim:

1. In apparatus for controlling the simultaneous pouring of molten metal into a pair of molds, the combination comprising, a pouring box having a main reservoir and a pair of spaced pouring reservoirs adjacent one end thereof for receiving and holding molten metal, a pair of spaced pouring spouts for connecting the main reservoir with each of the pouring reservoirs, each of the pouring reservoirs having a pouring nozzle for directing the flow of molten metal therefrom to an associated one of the pair of molds, a centrally disposed means for supporting the pouring box for tilting movement thereof in any direction about a vertical axis through the supporting means, and a pair of adjusting means for the pouring box disposed in spaced relation to each other adjacent an end of the main reservoir opposite said one end, one of the adjusting means being aligned with the centrally disposed support and one of the pouring spouts to provide a first tilting axis for the pouring box, the other of the adjusting means being aligned with the centrally disposed support and the other of the pouring spouts to provide a second tilting axis for the pouring box, each of the adjusting means being disposed for independent operation to selectively control the tilting movement of the pouring box about the first or second tilting axis to provide a selective control of the flow of molten metal from the main reservoir through a predetermined one of the pouring spouts without affecting the flow of molten metal through the other of the pouring spouts to thereby selectively control the rate of flow of molten metal from each of the pouring reservoirs to the associated molds.

2. In apparatus for controlling the simultaneous pouring of molten metal into a pair of molds, the combination comprising, a container unit having: a substantially rectangular reservoir therein for receiving and holding a supply of the molten metal, a pair of spaced pouring spouts for the reservoir disposed along one side thereof, a centrally positioned universal joint support for the container unit, a pair of adjusting means disposed in spaced relation along an end of the container unit adjacent a side of the reservoir opposite the pouring spouts, one of the adjusting means being disposed in alignment with the centrally positioned universal joint support and one of the pouring spouts to provide a first tilting axis for the reservoir, the other of the adjusting means being disposed in alignment with the centrally positioned universal joint support and the other of the pouring spouts to provide a second tilting axis for the reservoir, each of the adjusting means being disposed for independent operation to selectively control the tilting movement of the reservoir about either the first or second tilting axis to provide for controlling the flow of molten metal from a predetermined one of the pouring spouts without affecting the flow of molten metal from the other of the pouring spouts.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which the spaced pouring spouts are disposed in diverging directions away from the reservoir with each of the spaced pouring spouts extending along the tilting axis associated therewith.

4. In a pouring box for controlling the simultaneous pouring of molten metal into a pair of molds, the combination comprising, a refractory container unit having a main reservoir and a pair of spaced pouring reservoirs for receiving and holding molten metal, a pair of spaced pouring spouts disposed to connect the main reservoir with the pouring reservoirs, each of the pouring reservoirs having a pouring nozzle for directing a flow of molten metal therefrom to an associated one of the pair of molds, a centrally positioned universal joint support for the container unit, a pair of adjusting means for the container unit disposed in spaced relation to each other, one of the adjusting means being disposed in alignment with the centrally positioned universal joint support and one of the pouring spouts to provide a first tilting axis for the container unit, the other of the adjusting means being disposed in alignment with the centrally positioned universal joint support and the other of the pouring spouts to provide a second tilting axis for the container unit, each of the adjusting means being disposed for independent operation to selectively control the tilting movement of the container unit about either the first or second tilting axis to provide for controlling the flow of molten metal from a predetermined one of the pouring spouts without affecting the flow of molten metal from the other of the pouring spouts.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which the spaced pouring spouts are disposed in diverging directions away from the main reservoir with each of the spaced pouring spouts extending along the tilting axis associated there with.

6. In a pouring box for controlling the simultaneous pouring of molten metal into a pair of molds, the combination comprising, 'a refractory container unit having a main reservoir and a pair of spaced pouring reservoirs for receiving and holding molten metal, a pair of spaced pouring spouts disposed to connect the main reservoir with the pouring reservoirs, each of the pouring reservoirs having a pouring nozzle for directing a flow of molten metal therefrom to an associated one of the pair of molds, a centrally positioned universal joint support for the container unit, a pair of adjusting means for the container unit disposed in spaced relation to each other, one of the adjusting means being disposed in alignment with the centrally positioned universal joint support, one of the pouring spouts and the pouring nozzle of the pouring reservoir supplied by said one of the pouring spouts to provide a first tilting axis for the container unit, the other of the adjusting means being disposed in alignment with the centrally positioned universal joint support, the other of the pouring spouts and the pouring nozzle of the pouring reservoir supplied by said other of the pouring spouts to provide a second tilting axis for the container unit, each of the adjusting means being disposed for 10 independent operation to selectively control the tilting movement of the container unit about either the first or second tilting axis to provide for controlling the flow of molten metal from a predetermined one of the pouring spouts Without affecting the flow of molten metal from 15 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,398,584 Bradford Nov. 29, 1921 2,129,050 Dumas et al Sept. 6, 1938 2,246,907 Webster June 24, 1941 2,659,121 Easton et a1. Nov. 17, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 862,486 Germany Ian. 26, 1953 

